affording to live !!
 

I have been having a look at cost of living etc and dont understand how people can afford to live in aus .. already had medicals so nearly there ...
we are looking at either Perth or Sunshine coast .. been told bricklayers will earn approx $200-250 per day les tax (alot less that we earn now) ... so 1000-1250 per week less tax less bills
approx $200 per week electric / ins etc
$150-200 per week supermarket
$50-80 per week petrol
ttl $480.00
wages come out with maybe $750.00 - $480.00 leaves $270.00 ..
how can we buy a house for this .. average house £350000 - $ 450000
had a look at what we can borrow on $1000.00 per week and tops $155.000 .. and thats without any medicals bill or clothes ..
Please can someone help .. I really am having sleepless nights as whether we are doing the right thing or not !!!!!!!
We have a nice house good jobs ( I work 2 days a week in travel) and 1 ski holiday and 1 summer holiday per year ... do we go or stay !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: affording to live !!
 

Dont know where you get your numbers from. Everyone is different but for my wife and I living in Sydney we survived on between $1,000 and $1200 per month for all living costs on top of our rent. Those costs included running a 4 wheel drive, transport costs, food, bills, clothes and entertainment for 2 people. We were being quite careful as we were saving for a house deposit, but we didn't exaclty live like paupers for that cost. We had friends there who spent double what we did each month.

Re: affording to live !!
 

Dont know where you got these figure but think you are being over optomististic... Brickies in OZ earn about $750 pw (ave - you might g4et more but bugfet for $750) In Perth its about 650-700 $

Having saidthat I took a 70% cut in salary - Hubby took a 90% cut in salary in ordwr to do apprentoceship - and still we are saving mone6y. Dont have the 4 hols per year but dont want them either. Have bought oour owen house and could pay moprtgge off in 8 years. Would not be poss in UK even on 'full" salary./

Its all about lifestyle

One thing to consider ......... WA has salaries 10-15% below Est coast but house prices approx 40% below East coast - Do the math !!!!!!!

Re: affording to live !!
 

I hate to say this but in reality if someone generally has a good job here, nice house and a couple of holidays per year the chances are you will not be "better off". Of course, it depends what better off means to the individual...

By migrating to another country I believe that one can expect a drop in salary if not grade of employment. We are afterall, migrants in a foreign country, albeit very willing ones!

I believe that its more a lifestyle decision as mentioned above.

Re: affording to live !!
 

dont get me wrong I know the wages will be lower and I know the lifestyle will be better I suppose I am just looking for reassurance that we can live and not think oh we better not buy that this week we dont have the cash ..
its just the closer we get the more I am getting cold feet

Re: affording to live !!
 

if you're anything like me sara, you will be thinking of reasons for NOT going...fear of the unknown etc. i am due to start a new job on monday (only 10 hours per week), but i havent worked for 4 years, so i am a tad nervous (in fact VERY nervous!!). i have also been offered 2 jobs in the past, i accepted them and then turned them down. i had to go in today to sort out my hours, they had to fit in around the kids. i had in my head that they werent going to be flexible and that i wouldnt have the job to go to, as i wouldnt be able to do it. in the back of my mind, do i really want this job?? is it going to be waste of time as were are going to aus next year? (have only told immediate family) is it fair on the little boy? (job is SEN teaching assistant to a child with aspergers).

the crux of what i am trying to say, is that you may think of any reason(s) why you shouldnt be doing what you are wanting to do!!! its the fear factor, fear of the unknown.

we too will be leaving a good life here, but if you dont try it, you wont know.

you'll be fine, you live to your means anyway. i might have to work in australia instead of hubbie, as the travel jobs seem well paid over there. (not that i want to, cant imagine him as a house husband :scared: :eek: ). but needs must, but we wont know until we get out there.

SB

ps. sorry if i sound patronising :(

Re: affording to live !!
 

I guess thats the million dollar question - Its Australia and not Utopia and the visa comes with no guarantees. We've 21 days left in this country and given up work, a sucessful and very stressful business, sold the house and now sorting out the upheaval of our lives. Often we have asked ourselves why are we doing this and what do we hope to achieve. Of course we have panic moments - its the biggest change we have ever made and doubts and uncertainies are part of the process.

For us, its about living a different sort of life and we've just signed out of the UK rat race. Emigration for us is an adventure and like all adventures it will have its ups and downs. I would prefer more ups ;) but it will bring what it brings and whatever that may be we'll enjoy it as best we're able.

When you put it all in perspective we're all on this BE in the top 1% of earners in the world. Enjoy the adventure you've begun. Its one heck of a story to tell the kids/grandkids :)

Re: affording to live !!
 

I am an Australian living in the UK. I earn the same amount here for a 38-hour-a-week job that I used to earn back home for a 25-hour-a-week job.

Re: affording to live !!
 

Don't forget the cold wet rainy windy winter days,little or no summer, the traffic chaos, rip off prices , fuel cost, work.........etc.............etc. Its not all about MONEY,it's the Oz life style.

Re: affording to live !!
 

Have you got kids? I posted an article the other day, it was pretty much ignored too much reality I think :D but it showed 40% of australian families claim more in welfare than they pay in tax, in other words, if you have kids, you would probably get family benefits, its not like the UK, family beneftis are about $5000 a kid, thats how families survive welfare top ups. On top of that many more families are eligible for part benefits. Most immigrants are eligible from the day they arrive, the main pitfall is most see whats available and claim the lot then end up with a whopping over repayment bill when its balanced with their taxable income at the end of the tax year.

Your petrol sounds way to low if your partners a tradesman - need big vehicle and distances, and unless you move somewhere with a bus service two cars is the norm.

Livining costs have gone crazy the last two years, petrol has gone up 30% since february, and food goes up weekly due to lack of competititon, drought and petrol increases, obviously a big factor in a big country. Your figures sound OK for a couple, low for a family. Dont forget to allow for medical costs, education and providing a pension, australais is subject to an asset test, generally its recommended you save and provide your own pension.

Its about time we did a current cost of living thread, they have been done before but even 2004 living costs would be out of date now.

I guess the answer is if you want to get on here, living on one wage is difficult you would probably need 2, just like anywhere really.

Re: affording to live !!
 

So you keep saying, what do you do, where, and where in OZ did you earn this great income and how long ago? You seem very homesick for OZ, why dont you just pack up and go back here.

Re: affording to live !!
 

[QUOTE=sara-anthony3108]
approx $200 per week electric / ins etc
QUOTE]

This figure seems a little little high, should it be about $20pw?

WW

Re: affording to live !!
 

[QUOTE=wanderingwombat]As the only other costs listed were only food and petrol, the $200 etc would need to cover elec, rates, water, house insurance, car insurances, life insurance, superannuation, regos, phones, internet, medical, education, repairs, clothing etc etc etc Dont think it would go far at all :eek:

Re: affording to live !!
 

Well I reckon if your a brickie and good at what you do you will be earning double what you suggest.

Re: affording to live !!
 

I know we're not actually in Oz yet, but went for a two week reccie last August and spent most of this driving around looking for brickies for my hubby to chat to.

No one we spoke to was earning that low - lowest was $500 a day, job ads in WA not that much different either. Guess it depends where and how long you work. My hubby always sniffs out the best prices, moves on when necessary, is prepared to travel and works his backside off.
I guess if you just went on a big site where you work for someone else doing just 4.5 short days a week, then you will earn less